


Come back into town, I want to paint it black

by TailorTrash



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Instagram, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TailorTrash/pseuds/TailorTrash
Summary: Beca desperately wants to tell Chloe that she loves her, so she does, through Instagram.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 19
Kudos: 93





	Come back into town, I want to paint it black

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from Anna Kendricks Instagram account, December 16th, 2019 picture. The idea was inspired by the format she used for her caption. Updated end notes for clarification. Updated The Gambler lyric line, explanation in comments.
> 
> No Beta.

Beca stares at Chloe and Chicago’s engagement photos. Her heart constricts painfully in her chest, she feels sick. She silently wishes for the picture to disappear, or for Chloe to text and tell her it’s all a big joke. Beca brings up the messaging app, staring at the last message that Chloe had sent, already a week old. 

**Chloe (Sept. 20, Tues. 9:00 pm)**  
Goodnight XO

Beca jumps as her text noise goes off and Theo’s name pops up. 

**Theo (1 min)**  
Last minute meeting tomorrow @ 2. F2005.

 **Beca (Now)**  
*Thumbs up*

Beca places her head on her arms and sighs, now she knows for sure it’s too late. She curses herself for being so scared before, of not saying anything earlier, and now it’s too late. Beca worries her lip as she glances back at her phone. She had promised herself that she would tell Chloe about her feelings… when Chloe finally broke up with Chicago. Beca may love her best friend but she didn’t want to come between Chloe and Chicago, not when Chloe looked so happy. But looking at the happiness in Chloe’s eyes didn’t stop the heartache. It didn’t stop Beca from wishing things were different. She can’t help but stare at the photo again. The perfect couple… The handsome military man and his equally attractive veterinarian girlfriend. Beca can’t help but picture herself in Chicago’s place, would she have made Chloe just as happy? 

Beca tries to choke back the tears that are threatening to escape. She has to say something… this could literally be her last chance. Beca rubs her eyes, the need to say something quickly becoming overwhelming, but she has no idea what, she can’t text Chloe out of the blue, they haven’t spoken to each other in a week… she would probably just make a fool out of herself and put even more of a strain on their relationship. She doesn’t want to completely ruin the relationship, she needs Chloe, even if it’s just as a friend. Suddenly an idea comes to her, if she can’t talk to Chloe personally, she’ll say it on Instagram. Beca takes a photo of herself, slumped over a chair, her face drawn and morose, echoing her mood perfectly. Uploading the picture to Instagram, she types in the caption. 

“Come back to me, I'll be there for the highs and lows.”

  


A couple weeks later and Beca still hadn’t heard anything from Chloe. She had assumed that Chloe would have texted her, to excitedly tell her about her engagement, but the last message from Chloe still hasn’t changed. Who doesn’t text their best friend to tell them about their engagement? Beca stares at her phone, she’s desperate to talk to Chloe, but there’s too much to say. She stares at the messaging app feeling overwhelmed. Her thoughts, her questions, her feelings are all swimming around in her head and she’s having difficulties trying to straighten them out. Did she say congratulations on Chloe’s Instagram post? She can’t remember. Beca glances out of the window at the LA skyline, trying desperately not to think about Chloe, but it’s not working, her emotions are bubbling up inside her and her heart feels constricted.

Beca pulls up her own Instagram account and navigates to a picture that she knows is there, one of Beca and Chloe, posted a few months ago, before this chasm opened between them. The picture shows the two of them together at a café, smiling and laughing. Beca could remember how happy she had felt and by contrast how empty she had felt since. She wishes that she could text Chloe like she used to, it had seemed so easy then… what changed? She contemplates texting Chloe, but her chest tightens painfully, her head spins and she can’t think. She sighs putting the phone down before she picks it up again. She needs to say something, it’s eating her up inside. She opens Instagram and scrolls through her photo’s until she spots the perfect one. It’s a picture of her posing beside a doorway, looking off into the distance. She captions it:

“Still missing you, you can stand under my umbrella.” 

She smiles slightly, feeling a little better. She knows Chloe will never notice the pattern but it’s the only way Beca can think of to speak to Chloe, even if Chloe doesn’t know. It isn’t long before the likes and comments come rolling in, not unusual in her line of work however, one comment does catch her eye, it’s from Chloe:

“under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh.” 

Beca’s breath catches in her throat as she thinks about Chloe singing the lyrics. Beca whispers:

“under my umbrella, ella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh.” 

For a second it feels like they’re singing together again. A gentle warmth spreads through Beca and for a second she feels content, happier than she has been in months.

  


Two months later and still no word from Chloe, Beca taps her phone, glancing out of her hotel window at the London skyline. She sighs. She has more interviews tomorrow and a photo shoot, one of the downfalls of her current occupation.

She had always imagined being a producer, being in the background - she hadn’t anticipated being thrust into the limelight. What little quiet she had was gone now, replaced with advertising for her newest album and tour. Beca leans back on the bed and opens Instagram, navigating to Chloe’s profile. She knows she shouldn’t, but even though it’s bittersweet she still wants to see what Chloe has been up to. Beca scrolls through the photo’s she’s oh so familiar with, vicariously pretending that she was there, just out of frame. Beca’s heart thumps loudly in her chest, she’s going crazy… This isn’t healthy. She spots a picture with Chicago and Beca’s heart clenches, her breath shakes, she feels sick. It’s a photo of Chloe and Chicago in their living room. Beca scans the photo wondering if it holds any secrets. Does Chloe not look as happy? Do they vaguely seem less comfortable with each other? She knows it’s silly, but she can’t help it. Beca is already searching for the perfect photo to upload before she even realizes it. She finds one of her posing beside a statue in London, tapping it she types the caption: 

“London calling, I’ll find comfort in my pain - Eraser.” 

She feels a little better. 

  


Over the next few months Beca continues to post photos with the same caption pattern. She finds it soothing, her own personal therapy, a way to talk to Chloe without the anxiety of having a real conversation. It doesn’t take long before her Instagram comments are filled with people posting lyrics, it’s become a little game. Theo is thrilled, calling Beca a genius, having created a little game to play with her fans. She shrugs off Theo’s praise, downplaying it, she isn’t doing this for anyone other than herself. She doesn’t correct him though, she doesn’t tell him that she’s secretly reaching out to Chloe, that she’s doing this, so she doesn’t go insane, it doesn’t matter. 

Beca collapses on her bed, it’s been a particularly long day and she’s happy for some downtime. She stares at her phone for a second, biting her lip, she knows bringing up Instagram can be trouble, but Chloe’s account has thankfully been Chicago free recently, so she takes the chance. Bringing up Instagram Beca freezes as Chloe’s latest post fades in at the top. It’s a picture of her sitting in a big armchair, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, the caption reads: 

“my favourite thing, I ain’t missing you no matter what I might say.” 

Beca takes in a ragged breath, staring at her phone. She quickly taps at it in an attempt to enlarge the image and the heart icon floats up. Beca freezes. She never likes any of Chloe’s posts anymore, she hasn’t for a long time, not since…Chicago. She knows she should, support her best friend but she can’t bring herself to do it, she can’t like any posts with Chicago and over time Chloe was bound to notice the pattern. That was a for sure way to bring up a conversation that Beca did not want to have. It was just easier not to like any posts, it was her way of maintaining the space she needed to stay sane. She was already balancing a fine line as it were. But now she just liked Chloe’s post - for the first time in years, a post that copied the same pattern as Beca’s posts, a pattern that Chloe doesn’t ever use. 

Chloe’s posts are usually longwinded given the platform, so this is a clear deviation from the regular. Beca’s mind goes a mile a minute. Beca knows the song the lyrics are from. She says it quickly to herself, her eyes widening. This can’t be right… She’s reading into this. Beca jumps up, pacing the room. Chloe can’t know that those captions are speaking to her? Right? She must just be emulating me. This must be for Chicago. He is an army man, he’s probably away currently, stationed somewhere. But secretly Beca can’t help but feel on top of the world, desperately wishing that this indeed is Chloe communicating back. Becca forces her breathing to calm down. It’s nothing she tells herself, nothing. She picks up her phone again and Instagram refreshes and like that it’s gone. She searches for Chloe’s name and brings up her account. Beca settles down on her knees on the bed as she attempts to taper down her heartrate, staring at the picture.

Beca’s hands are shaking as she desperately searches her photo gallery, finally finding the perfect photo, it’s an older one of her sitting in a restaurant, a smile on her face. She hovers over the caption, deciding what to put… it has to be perfect. Beca screws her eyes tight, it’s nothing, it’s nothing, she keeps repeating. Trying to get her heart to believe it. It’s a fluke, she doesn’t understand, once I post this… I’m not going to get a response. Beca takes a deep breath and types:

“I’m holding a secret, hey there Delilah.” 

She hovers over the post button a second before she taps it. The post goes live, Beca sits there for a second, her heart hammering in her chest. The minutes tick by painfully and the hope for instant gratification slowly depletes. She brings Chloe’s Instagram back up but it’s still the same picture. Beca huffs and collapses onto the bed. When did I become such a mess? 

The next day Beca keeps checking Chloe’s Instagram account but the picture remains unchanged and Beca’s heart breaks a little each time. By the end of the day Beca debates posting a new photo but her heart feels heavy and her mouth feels ashen. By the end of the week she’s forgotten to check anymore. 

  


Beca looks out at the guests gathered in the ballroom, Theo had planned a party for the evening and Beca being the star of the hour decided for once that she would try to enjoy herself. By the fourth glass of champagne Beca finally feels like she is making some progress. Beca laughs and smiles as she mingles and Theo watches on, smiling, Beca can feel how proud he is of her. He’s beaming at her like a proud parent, which is starting to make Beca feel a little uncomfortable. Beca’s taking a sip of champagne when her pocket vibrates, she freezes. 

When Beca first started working with DJ Khalid she quickly learned that she had to turn off the notifications on her phone. There were only a few things that still had notifications, and all of them related to the Bella’s. Beca pats her phone, it could be Chloe’s Instagram. Beca excuses herself and makes her way to the bathroom, so she can check it out in private. Beca tries not to get her hopes up. The last time she was at a party and she got a Bella notification it was a video of Fat Amy attempting to pole dance in a spandex bodysuit. Beca quickly closes and locks the door behind her, pulling her phone out she holds her breath… it’s Chloe’s Instagram. Her heart is singing, and she feels like it’s about to burst. Beca hopes that it’s the answer she has been waiting for, but she also knows that if it’s a picture of Chicago she will probably break down and cry. She taps the notification, bringing up the photo. It’s Chloe sitting at her kitchen table staring out a window, the caption reads:

“just been thinking, I got my ticket for the long way ‘round.” 

Beca almost drops her phone before she clutches it to her chest. She pulls back to look at it again. It’s her song, their song… This must be intentional. Beca can hardly believe it. She can feel her heart hammering in her ears. Chloe heard her! Beca brings up her messages, she attempts to write something to Chloe… but she can’t, she doesn’t know what to say. Making a decision she brings up the Instagram’s photo viewer, desperately looking, eventually she comes across a picture of Beca in a garden, a huge smile on her face. She thumbs in her caption:

“Best news today, Because I’m happy.” 

Beca collapses to the ground a tangle of emotions. She breathes out causing her hair around her face to float out and cascading across her face. Her phone vibrates…

Chloe liked your photo.

  


They spent the next few months communicating through Instagram. Beca keeps to her format, every message meant only for Chloe. However, Chloe being an avid poster doesn’t always follow the ‘Beca’ format. Beca had to admit, the first time it happened was a nasty shock, it wasn’t until a few days later when Chloe followed the pattern again that Beca finally breathed easy. After that it became obvious which messages were meant for Beca and which were regular posts. However, nothing had prepared Beca for the latest photo, a picture of Chloe and Chicago, holding each other, smiling, with the caption:

“all the feels, you've got to know when to hold 'em - Know when to fold 'em"

Beca felt sick and confused, Chloe had used their format. Their format… Beca hadn’t forgotten Chicago and yet in a way, she had… The picture hurts, like a slap to the face. Beca’s heart constricts painfully as her world crumbles around her, this carefully crafted fantasy. A world where Chloe and she were… what? Beca covers her face. Perhaps that’s why she could never bring herself to text Chloe. She didn’t want to break the illusion; texting would make things complicated, make things real. They would have to discuss life… discuss Chicago. Beca hadn’t fully realized how important these Instagram conversations were to her but the realization that they wouldn’t last forever felt like a sucker punch. Beca looked at the photo again. She could feel tears start to trickle down her cheek, she felt empty. Beca turned her phone off and wiped her tears. It was like loosing Chloe all over again.

  


Chloe still posted occasionally over the next few weeks. Beca eventually turned off notifications all together, the gentle buzz caused her too much stress. Occasionally she thought about creating a new post, but the feelings were no longer there, it felt wrong now… tainted, not that long gaps were unusual for her. Sitting at her kitchen table Beca decided it was time, time to say goodbye, one last post to Chloe. Selecting a picture of a sunset she debated her caption; she needed the perfect song. Even though she wanted to say goodbye none of the songs seemed right… No, if this was going to be her last message to Chloe, she needed to lay it all out. She wasn’t even sure if Chloe truly understood her format, it was possible that Chloe saw it as nothing but a little game, the same as Beca’s fans. Taking a deep breath, she typed in her last caption:

“Remembering fond memories, every little thing she does is magic.” 

Beca sat her phone down, releasing a shaky breath she didn’t even know she had been holding, a deep sense of ease washing over her. She had finally done it, in her own way she finally told Chloe that she loved her. It felt therapeutic. 

  


Beca sat in one of the recording studio’s bored as she waited for Theo to be done with his meeting. He had called her to come over, apparently there was some things that he wanted to discuss regarding her newest single. Absently minded she scrolled through the apps on her phone before she tapped Instagram, freezing for a second as she realized what she had done, she hadn’t brought up Instagram since her last post to Chloe a couple of weeks ago. Scrolling through the pictures she felt the familiar pull to search for Chloe’s profile. Beca bit her lip, she held out for a minute before she gave in. Sighing and hating herself she searched for Chloe’s profile. Beca was shocked to see that there was only one new photo. Very strange, given how often Chloe updated her Instagram. It was a picture of Chloe on a cellphone. Beca tapped the image, curiosity getting the better of her. She was surprised to see that the picture had been published a week ago. She read the caption:

“come back to me, so call me maybe.” 

Beca froze. 

She took in a shaky breath. This didn’t mean anything, right? Beca put her phone down but immediately picked it back up, her palms beginning to sweat. Taking a leap of faith Beca brings up Chloe’s number and taking a deep breath, she taps on the number, bringing the phone up to her ear. Beca’s heart beats painfully. She is about to change her mind and hang up when suddenly the phone clicks.

“Hello!” Chloe answers cheerfully.

“Hi…” Beca lets out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, in case some of you didn't notice the format for Instagram is (speaking text), (song lyrics). The entire song is what each character is essentially singing to each other. If you don't recognize a song please feel free to google it as the text that the characters are actually saying to each other is hidden there. Looking up the lyrics for the entire song will help and/or give a better emotional feel for what is being said between the characters. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
